PR San Juan Normandie

[jvander]

This hotel was previously called the Park Place Normandie, but is now just Normandie. We had read some pretty bad reviews, so our expectations were rather low.

We stayed elsewhere in PR prior to our check-in at the Normandie, so I called around noon to inquire when we could possibly check-in. I was quickly and sharply informed that check-in was 3pm. Now when they say 3pm, they MEAN 3PM! We had to checkout of our room by 12, so we arrived at the Normandie at 12:30. They told us we could leave our bags and come back at 3pm! We walked to the condado area and returned at 3pm. Guess what, the room is not ready! Some customers were in the lobby with their families, and they were irrate! We just took a seat and were able to checkin around 3:20pm.

The checkin area is quite small and has a few chairs and a sofa. Internet access is free in the lobby area! The next area is a tall atrium area which also serves as a lounge, etc. This is the interior of the hotel, and the rooms surround both sides, all the way up. Therefore, when they have live entertainment, every room will hear it until they are finished! This area has been remodelled and is quite attractive (art deco decor). There is a small gift shop.

The front elevator is very small. There are two elevators toward the back of the hotel. During most of our 2 night stay, only one elevator worked!

We recieved a room on the 5th floor. We were quite pleased upon entering the room. The first part is aprox. 10x10ft sitting area with a couch and a couple of chairs and tables. The main bedroom part was very spacious with a king sized bed and pleanty of closets. There was also another room aprx. 6x12ft that contained a desk, 2 chairs, and a coffeemaker. The only windows were in this room, but they actually opened. On the day our ship came into port, we had a wonderful close-up view of the Golden Princess! Bathroom was adequate and they had some nice toiletries. There was also a hairdryer and an iron. There was a nice pool. Their beach area is not really very nice at all. However, it is a short walk to the Caribe Hilton if you need to be on a beach.

Location wise, the Normandie is about a mile from the Condado area. There is not alot of places to eat around the hotel. There was a close Subway and a little local cafe (we actually thought it was awesome). We did ask how to take the local bus to a Pueblo grocery store. We got on San Juan #1 bus and got off at the 2nd stop. Bought our liquor and got back on the bus for a fee of 50 cents each.

Housekeeping is very slow! This is why you cannot get a room until after 3pm. On our second day, we returned to our room at 3:30pm, only to find it had not yet been cleaned. Around 4 pm, we informed the cleaning ladies (only one spoke english) that we just wanted the trash emptied and some clean towels. We also asked for a DO NOT DISTURB sign, as we wanted to nap. About 20 minutes after putting the DO NOT DISTURB sign out, there was a knock at the door! Guess who? The same lady who gave us the sign! She didn't say a word, but handed my husband a bottle of Merlot, one glass, and a corkscrew! We have no idea why!

We enjoyed our stay at the Normandie, although please be aware...this is not a 5 star resort. The place was built in 1939. The room can be quite noisy at times, and there is a moderate musty smell. It is however, a clean, spacious room, and the hotel has a charm all its own. The pool is quite nice. I would stay there again. It is next to a very nice park, and very close to the Pan Am pier where the Golden Princess as well as the Adventure of the Seas dock.